Why Is Continuing Care Important After Treatment?

Why Is Continuing Care Important After Treatment?

The treatment process for a drug and alcohol addiction is not one size fits all. Treatment has extended beyond an initial detox and residential treatment program to support each client on their journey. Every client has different needs and availabilities for treatment. A continuum of care includes: detox, residential inpatient, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, outpatient, and aftercare or continuing care. Increasing amounts of research are proving that long term care provides the best possible outcomes for clients. While many clients and families argue that treatment shouldn’t take so long, taking a look at the simple facts emphasizes a radical truth. Treatment should take as long as it needs to.

Addiction Doesn’t Start In A Day

Sobriety happens in an instant- the very moment someone makes the decision not to pick up another drink or a drug. Recovery, however, happens over time. The reason is simple. Addiction, the development of addiction, the changes of lifestyle, the rewiring of the brain, didn’t happen overnight. It didn’t happen in thirty days, sixty days, or even 90 days. Biological, social, psychological, and environmental factors which contribute to addiction develop over time. Throughout that time, a person is continuously building upon new habits, learned behaviors, coping mechanisms, and more. Someone who has depended upon drugs and alcohol for a lifetime cannot be expected to depend upon their recovery in just 30 days. Within the first 30 days of recovery, the brain is only just beginning to heal. As time goes on, the body gets used to living on its own. An old philosophy believes that it takes 90 days to break a habit. Addiction is full of habits and acts like a habit itself in many ways. Changing habits and learned behaviors takes time. Therefore, time is needed for treatment.

Flying The Coop

When birds are pushed out of their nests by their parents, they have to trust their wings against the wind and practice flying. Birds don’t go to school to learn to fly, they just jump. Some aren’t always ready. They fall and crash and even break their wings. The flight into independent living after treatment can be dangerous. Relapse on drugs and alcohol is a life or death kind of situation. Continuing care is important to help clients ease their way into living after spending months in treatment. Much of recovery is learned and has to be put into practice. Without ongoing support through counseling, therapy, drug screening, and group processing, one might struggle to fly on their own.

Start the new year with a new take on life. Recovery is your new chance at living. Lasting recovery is possible through infinite change. At Infinity Malibu, our clinical program is run by leaders in the addiction field. Providing cutting edge treatments, our program offers a transformative process. Infinite change. Infinite recovery. Call us today for information: 888-266-9048